Should Delhi remain India’s national capital ? : Congress MP Tharoor

Concerns of Rising Pollution

New Delhi – Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, with pollution levels four times the hazardous limit and nearly five times worse than Dhaka. It is incomprehensible that successive governments have witnessed this catastrophic situation for years and done nothing about it. Should Delhi continue to be the national capital of India ? Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor raised this question. He posed it on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) while sharing a list of the world’s most polluted cities. As winter begins, Delhi’s air quality plummets to record lows every year, and this year is no different. The alarming rise in air pollution has made it nearly impossible for citizens to live in the city. Against this backdrop, MP Tharoor questioned whether Delhi is suitable to remain the country’s capital.

Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, 4x Hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it. I have run an Air… pic.twitter.com/sLZhfeo722

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 18, 2024

No One Seems to Care

Tharoor further stated, “Since 2015, I have discussed this issue with several experts, stakeholders, and fellow MPs, but since last year, I stopped; because nothing seemed to change, and no one seemed to care. Living in Delhi between November and January is nearly impossible, and during the rest of the year, one can barely manage. Should this really remain the nation’s capital?”

The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has termed the deteriorating air quality as a “medical emergency” and urged necessary steps to ensure public health safety. Due to the toxic air, schools and colleges in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) are operating online.

Editorial Perspectives

The Congress party, which ruled the country for the longest time, is primarily responsible for this situation. Instead of relocating the capital, why are stringent measures not being implemented ?

“The political pollution in the country is so intense that people are questioning the very existence of political parties and politicians,” citizens could be wondering this !